Water from clothes washer to ceiling leak

[Joannsbentley]

Hello, 3 days ago I washed a large load of laundry upstairs in my home. After that I went downstairs and noticed that water was coming/dripping through the ceiling and lights in the ceiling. There is no water located underneath the washing machine. The next day I called a plumber and he had me run another load of laundry so he could determine where the leak was located. To my astonishment, there was not any further leaking of water through to the ceiling or through the lights I actually did three loads of laundry with no water observed ifrim the ceiling below. This was very puzzling for me because part of my ceiling was even starting to strip away. There was no water seen from the washer or from the ceiling and the Plummber told me that there could have been a clog, got pushed through and all seems good. He said he has seen this in the past with his job. He did not want to open the ceiling underneath the washer any of these times. Plummer said the pipe connections are fine. possibly there was a clog somewhere in a pipe line that let loose which spurred the leaking through the ceiling and he did not want to open up the ceiling to see what possibly is in there because three times I reenacted washing clothes with real clothes there was no leaking I am completely baffled and anxious about this happening in the future and I have a grand piano underneath where this dripping from the ceiling was taking place so it was a very good thing that I was home to save the piano from getting wet. Should the ceiling be opened up? Do you recommend anything? I certainly appreciate any advice in this case!

[Marilyn Manson]

On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 5:31:44 PM UTC-5, Joannsbentley wrote:

'Twere it me, I'd probably open the ceiling, but I know how to repair the ceiling, so there's that.

You said: "part of my ceiling was even starting to strip away."

Not sure I understand what "stripping away" means when it relates to a ceiling. The plaster? The drywall? The paint? The texture?

What kind of ceiling? How bad is it? Can you repair it yourself?

Details matter when asking for advice.

BTW...How did you save the piano?

[trader_4]

On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 6:19:02 PM UTC-5, Marilyn Manson wrote:

Starting to strip away sounds like it could be the drywall tape. If the drywall itself is still OK, I'd wait a month or so at least before repairing it. Also missing is what the area around the drain is like, where the washer hose goes into. If it possible for water to have backed up out of that, poured downstairs, but left no trace upstairs? If it has one of those in wall box deals, I guess it might be possible, but I'd investigate that area and see if it could happen or if water would also have come down the wall up there, etc.

You'd also think that since the plumber thinks that's what could have happened that he'd have snaked the line while there. Cost of that on top of the inspection should be minimal. If he didn't suggest that, I'd find a new plumber. The let's hope it was just a clog that went away and see if it floods again approach is dumb.

[TimR]

Same thing happened to me when we moved into this house. We ran a load of wash and water came through the ceiling down below.

But the route of the water was obvious. There was a clog in the drain pipe, causing it to back up where the washer hose inserts into the drain.

I ran a snake down the line, and 13 years later it still hasn't recurred.

So if there was a clog, where did the water get out of the pipe? I would want to know that. If there's a good chance it just overflowed the drain, then you're probably okay. If it gets out of the pipe somewhere else, I would want to know.

[micky]

My Whirlpool/Kenmore washer wasn't built with a lint filter. I forget how they phrased it but it has a lint chopper, that's supposed to cut the lint into little pieces that will, I guess, go down the drain.

But after I read the manual, I didn't trust them. I bought a 6" plastic tube that fits in the laundry sink drain and has small holes at the bottom and bigger holes towards the top (and when the water is higher than the tube, nothing stops it from going down the drain, to prevent overflowing the tub.)

And I bought a little mesh bag that goes over the output hose from the washer. That would gather lint and it was too much trouble to clean. So I stopped using it.

But I still use the tube 38 years later, and it gathers lint too, small pieces but still. I have to wipe it off the tube once in a while or the sink drains slower than I want, especially the last inch or two.

Because of the stream backing up into the basement laundry sink, I installed a check valve in its drain, but it didnt' work. I think that's because little pieces of lint kept the door from closing all the way, so to me that confirms that a little lint is still getting through. But I'm never in the basement watching the sink and at the same time knowing when the stream overflows the manhole next to the stream, so it's a guess.

[Marilyn Manson]

You don't clean the mesh bags, you throw them away when they get clogged.

I bought these 18 months ago. Gave a bunch to my daughter, still have a bunch left. Takes less than a minute change, including finding the bag in the back of the cabinet.

[micky]

In a package of 50, these are only 40c a piece. I think 35 years ago, it was more like $4. That might be because now with have Chinese making them and before we had middle income Taiwanese making them. Real Americans almost. Or they were better quality.

I see from the array of 4 pictures that they all use plastic ties to keep them on, but I think mine had elastic sewn into the hem, another big reason it was more expensive.

In those days there were just hardware stores and Murphy's and if a store had one version of this, it was a lot.

Now that there so cheap I'd consider using them again, but there are so many, I'd have to give a bunch to your daughter, and then she'd have two bunches. Still, it might be worth it, so I'm putting it in the Amazon maybe-file.

I forgot to say that sometimes I find a little lint on the cross bars in the drain itself. It's hard but I can get that off with my fingers. I don't know how much gets through.

[Marilyn Manson]

Of course, my point was that you throw them away. Even if you spend the big bucks on the ones with elastic bands, you don't clean them.

Well, I guess you could if you want. Me, I'd find something better to do even if I had nothing to do at the time.

The ties are more secure than the elastic band. DAMHIKT

You can go into AVG and turn this signature off.

[gfretwell]

As long as it keeps going it is just part of the sludge at the sewer plant. It is when it piles up on the grease from the kitchen or a snag in the pipe that it is a problem.

[micky]

I never put grease down my sink, via the sink or the dishwasher. I lick it off the plate first.

I wish it didn't interfere with the laundry drain check valve, but it's too late now. Even if poured Acme Lint Remover down the drain, I can't rely on the check valve since it didn't work the first time I needed it, and I have to rely on a rubber stopper with a piece of picture frame jammed in between the stopper and a shelf above it.